1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices for adding water to trees kept indoors and, more particularly, to a conduit for guiding water to the base of a tree and to a gauge for indicating the amount of water present at the base of the tree.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When plants are kept indoors, they must be periodically watered to keep them alive and healthy. When trees are kept indoors, there is an especially large requirement for periodic watering. For example, Christmas trees that are kept indoors have a particularly large water requirement. This is so for a number of reasons. First, the water helps keep the tree alive. Second, the water prevents the tree from drying out and becoming a fire hazard. This is especially important because the tree is generally draped with electric lamps and wiring which radiate heat.
Throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating to devices for automatically watering Christmas trees, and the following U.S. patents are representative of some of those innovations: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,930,252; 4,993,176; 5,201,140; 5,243,782; 5,279,071; and Des. 319,416. More specifically, each of the watering devices includes some sort of water reservoir and some sort of tubing or conduit to transfer water from the reservoir to the tree. Moreover, some of the Christmas tree watering devices include some sort of water flow control means for sensing when the Christmas tree needs an addition of water and for automatically controlling the flow of water to the tree. To avoid the complexities of a separate water reservoir, a water conduit, and a water flow control means, it would be desirable if a simple device could be provided that aided in watering Christmas trees that does not have a water reservoir, does not have a water conduit, and does not have a water flow control mechanism.
The Christmas tree watering devices disclosed in the patents cited above are generally placed on a portion of a floor near the base of the tree: Consequently, to fill the reservoir, to adjust the water conduit, or to adjust the water control mechanism, a person must bend down, get on one's knees, or sit down on the floor. For some persons, the acts of bending down, getting on one's knees, or sitting down on the floor are difficult to perform. In this respect, it would be desirable if a device were provided which aids in watering indoor trees without requiring a person to bend down, get on one's knees, or sit down on the floor in order to water the tree.
Still other features would be desirable in a device for aiding in watering indoor trees. For example, it would be desirable if the device for aiding in watering indoor trees had a water inlet that is approximately waist high so a person can stand up straight when watering the Christmas tree.
The base of a Christmas tree is located at a center of an imaginary circle, and branches of the tree radiate from the base. To get to the base of the tree to apply water to the base of the tree, it is often necessary to push aside or push through the lower branches of the tree which obstruct access to the base of the tree. To preclude the need for a person watering the tree to push aside or push through the lower branches of the tree to gain access to the base of the tree, it would be desirable if a device for aiding in watering indoor trees had a conduit which conveys water from the periphery of the tree to the base of the tree.
A conduit which conveys water from the periphery of a tree, at a waist high level, to the base of the tree must be supported in a stable way. To preclude the need for providing a separate and distinct support structure, it would be desirable if the water-conveying conduit were supported by the tree itself.
One way for a person to determine whether an indoor Christmas tree needs to be watered is for the person to feel the base materials to determine if they are wet or dry. To do so, the person must bend down, get on one's knees, or sit down on the floor. As stated above, such actions are to be avoided by some persons. In this respect, it would be desirable if a device were provided for aiding in watering indoor trees which allows the person to stand upright and determine whether there is a need to water the Christmas tree.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use devices for aiding in watering indoor trees, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a conduit and float gauge apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) does not have a separate and distinct water reservoir and does not have a water-flow control mechanism controlling water flow from a reservoir to a tree; (2) aids in watering indoor trees without requiring a person to bend down, get on one's knees, or sit down on the floor in order to water the tree; (3) has a water inlet that is approximately waist high so that a person can stand up straight when watering a Christmas tree or other indoor tree; (4) has a conduit which conveys water from the periphery of the tree to the base of the tree; (5) provides a water-conveying conduit which is supported by the tree itself; and (6) allows the person to stand upright and determine whether there is a need to water the Christmas tree or other indoor tree. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique conduit and float gauge apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.